Upon arrival at your hotel, your Seashells Romance Director will contact you by telephone in your room to welcome you. She will arrange to meet with you to review all arrangements, show you the location, go over the documents you will need to bring and reconfirm the time she will accompany you to your legal appointments.

There is a 72-hour residency requirement to get married in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. We suggest, if you wish to marry on Saturday, it is recommended that you arrive in The Bahamas no later than Wednesday. You must both be present at the time of application.

Catholics wishing to marry in Diocese of The Bahamas are required to participate in pre cana instruction courses. We are happy to put you in touch with the Catholic Church in Nassau to make your arrangements.

To process the Marriage License Application, a legal document with a photo identification, issued by a Government Office in the country where you reside such as a Driver’s License or valid Passport must be produced. You will also be required to bring your individual Bahamas Immigration Entry Forms with you and we will include a Marriage Application Form in your Welcome Kit and ask that you complete this in advance and bring it with you to the appointment. Your Seashells Romance Director will review all of your document requirements with you during the planning process so that you bring everything with you to The Bahamas and she will ensure that you have everything with you before leaving the resort for the appointment.

Depending on your marital status, if either party has been divorced, the original final decree or a certified copy must be produced. If either party is widowed, a certified document of the deceased spouse must be produced. If either party is single and never been married, being a citizen or resident of the USA, a declaration certifying this fact must be sworn before the Commissioner or a Notary Public.

Similarly, if either party is single and never been married, being a citizen or resident of a country other than the USA, a declaration certifying this fact must be sworn before a Notary Public or other person authorized to administer oaths in your country and must accompany the application for the Marriage License.

Should you wish to retain copies of your legal documents, you must first have them copied in your home state before presenting the certified copies, along with your Marriage License Application to the Registrar General as these will be part of the official record when your marriage is registered in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

The fees for the Marriage License Application and affidavits for unmarried persons who are citizens or residents of the USA are covered in your Seashells Wedding Package. There is no blood test required.

Planning your wedding around national public holidays in The Bahamas may create a challenge for the legal process. Dates to avoid in 2005: Good Friday(25 Mar), Easter Monday(28 Mar), Whit Monday(16 May), Labor Day(3 June) Independence Day(11 July), Emancipation Day(1 August), Discovery Day (10 Oct), Christmas Day (25 Dec) Boxing Day (26 Dec), New Year’s Day(1 Jan).

Citizens of certain countries may require Visas. Contact: Embassy of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas in Washington on 202-319-2660, Bahamas Consulate in New York on 212-421-6429, Bahamas Consulate in Miami on 305-373-6295, the Bahamas High Commission in London, England on +44 (0) 20 7408 4488 information@bahamashclondon.net and the Bahamas High Commission in Ottawa, Canada on 613-232-1724 ottawa-mission@bahighco.com